


Loyalties

by 100percentfluffster



Series: Spiders Care [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Civil War Team Iron Man, Follows canon up to Civil War where things change after the airport fight, Iron Widow Friendship!, Natasha done right, Natasha stays, Protective Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers Sucks, prequel to a series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 06:14:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20902955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/100percentfluffster/pseuds/100percentfluffster
Summary: She hadn’t run. She’d wanted to, her head was full of panic and fear and so much anger. But she stayed and waited for him to come to her. She knew he would, because Tony Stark didn’t give up on a teammate, even if they did nothing to deserve it.“You let them go.” He looked at her fully and she couldn’t look away from those dark eyes. He didn’t look surprised and that’s what hurt her the most. He never was surprised when they treated him like dirt. There was a heavy resignation all around him. “I can get you a jet, no tracking. You can run wherever you need to. Maybe you can find Fury, because I sure as hell don’t believe he’s dead. Go do spy stuff or have a tea party and braid each other’s hair.”“No.”





	Loyalties

She hadn’t run. She’d wanted to, her head was full of panic and fear and so much anger. But she stayed and waited for him to come to her. She knew he would, because Tony Stark didn’t give up on a teammate, even if they did nothing to deserve it. 

FRIDAY was keeping her in the loop with occasional updates on Rhodes’ condition, and Natasha thanked her in a soft wounded tone each time. 

If she hadn’t let them go, Rhodes wouldn’t be in emergency surgery to try and rebuild his lower spine. But if she hadn’t let them go, who else would have gotten hurt? Which choice was right? 

It took hours before he showed. She was standing in the same position, in front of the giant window of the commons floor of the Tower, looking down at the city. Reporters were surrounding the perimeter of the property and she could hear the faint sounds of their zealous shouted questions. More like accusations. 

“You’re still here.” 

Natasha didn’t turn but her mouth twisted up in a spiteful smile, anger at herself and this situation threatening to spill over. If she’d done something differently, maybe they’d _ all _still be here. 

“I’m still here,” Natasha replied softly. 

Tony walked up to stand next to her. She noted the way his left arm was held up in a sling and the few butterfly bandages that held a cut on the side of his face shut. He looked tired and grief ridden. His eyes were red from the tears he’d shed for his friend and his entire body was shaking. She had to bite back the apology on her tongue because it wasn’t the right time. 

“You let them go.” He looked at her fully and she couldn’t look away from those dark eyes. He didn’t look surprised and that’s what hurt her the most. He never was surprised when they treated him like dirt. There was a heavy resignation all around him. “I can get you a jet, no tracking. You can run wherever you need to. Maybe you can find Fury, because I sure as hell don’t believe he’s dead. Go do spy stuff or have a tea party and braid each other’s hair.” 

“No.” 

A flash of an emotion sparked through Tony’s eyes and she finally saw that surprise. “I’m not going to offer twice, Cinderella. Take it or leave it.” 

“I’m staying.” The words made her breathing come heavier, but the rest of her body was as still and controlled as ever. 

He barked out a laugh that she had to consciously stop herself from flinching at. “Oh, I get it. Cap’s not batting a hundred now, is that it?” 

Natasha wanted to bite back with her own insults, that’s how they worked after all. She trained him in hand to hand. He helped her gather data before missions. She taught him how to properly case a location and he showed her how to truly hack. They had a give and take understanding between them. It wasn’t exactly friendship, but it was always there. Snarky but consistent. This time she made a conscious choice to move away from that. 

“I trusted him,” she said, eyes moving back to the window, unable to look at the broken man beside her. “I’m so confused, and I _ hate _it. I hate it so much.” 

“You expect me to believe that, snap my fingers and forget that you stabbed me in the back again?” Stark snarked back. His right hand was curled into a fist and his body’s shaking was giving way to a furious tenseness. 

“No.” She looked back at him and blinked slowly, unsure how to go about this. “Tony, I backed the Accords because I trust in oversight. I was on your side because I knew that it was the best option we had as a team. You know why?” 

“Because it was the ‘lay of the land’. Because you’re as spineless as you always claim I am.” 

She tilted her head in acknowledgement of the insult, and watched as Tony raised an eyebrow at the reaction. She plowed on before he could continue. “I’m not a leader, Tones. I never have been. I was built in the red room where their word was reality. After that I was SHIELD’s. I was Nick’s and Clint’s. Then Steve was there and I knew he was a good guy. I believed in that. So I followed him. I’m a _ follower _, Stark.” 

“Seems you put your trust in the wrong capsicle then, sister.” Tony’s words were light but he looked like he was listening to her. Maybe hearing her. 

“I trusted Steve and I trust you, even if I haven’t done my best showing it.” 

“I’d say.” Tony’s guarded expression was back. 

“I trusted the _ team _ . But only two people held my _ loyalty _: Clint of course... and Steve.” 

“So I never had your loyalty?” Stark asked in angered confusion. He paced in place and glared down at the reporters through the glass. 

She shook her head and pursed her lips. “That’s what I’m offering you now.” She was ashamed to have to blink back real tears and she hoped Tony didn’t see it. “I’m self serving, it’s part of being a Widow, but assets like me aren’t meant to…” She cleared her throat and waited until Tony looked back at her. “I’ve been tortured into loyalty by the red room. I’ve been blinded into loyalty by Fury. I’ve been pulled into loyalty by Steve, because I thought he could take the responsibility of being my moral compass. I don’t know how much loyalty I have left, but I want to use it right this time. I want to give it to the people that you’re always talking about, the men and women that you talk and listen to. You’re the only one on the team who has taken true responsibility for our actions. You are the symbol of accountability. The point is, I want to put my loyalty in something bigger than me and I want to do it right this time. Which means you.” 

“Me?” Tony whispered, the word barely making it out of his mouth. His eyes were wide and the late day sun made them seem a shade lighter than before. 

“You.” Natasha waited a moment and then gave a quirk of her lips as she added, “And you know, Pepper and Vision and that weird spider kid.” 

Tony’s chuckle was a bit wet sounding as he wiped a hand over his face. He blew out a large breath and replied, “Well, who better to teach a spider than a spider?” 

Natasha had never felt relief so potent in her life. Those words were the footholds she would use to keep herself together. “You seem to be doing a pretty good job of it yourself, _ Mr. Stark _.” 

He groaned and turned away. “Don’t you start calling me that too, the kid is bad enough.” 

“We’ll need to get an amendment in the Accords for the underage enhanced.” 

Tony stilled and turned back to look at her with a calculating look. “I’ve been working on it, actually. And some other stuff.” 

Natasha smiled and replied, “I’ve got some ideas myself.” 

Tony sobered and stated, “Ross’ll want your head.” 

“You’ll think of something.” She couldn’t help but mirror Stark’s dark smirk. 

  
  
  
  


Their helicopter stopped above the Raft and they both looked down at it. Tony whistled and said, “When they said high security, they meant it.” 

Natasha was already scouting out any possible weaknesses and she pointed out some potential points of exit quietly to Stark. He listened carefully, as she knew he always had. It was one of the things she’d always respected about him. More regret swept through her at the thought of how little the team had listened to him before. 

When their landing clearance came through, the helicopter descended and the pair walked over to where Ross was waiting for them. He brought them down a set of stairs and into the prison/bunker. 

He took them to a small glass walled conference room and closed the door behind the three of them. “Agent Romanoff,” Ross greeted with a sneer. “You have a lot of guts coming here. I asked for Stark, not you.” 

“_ Miss _ Romanoff, Secretary Ross, if you would. I no longer have an organization to be an agent of. I came to verify Dr. Stark’s safety.” 

“You should be in one of these cells, girl. You committed treason allowing those terrorists get away in Zieplig.” 

Tony clicked his fingers loudly against the table next to them and drawled, “Careful there, Thunderboy, wouldn’t want anyone to think you’re behind the times. I submitted my report and if you’ll recall,” he paused to pull up the document on his Starkpad and read out, “Natasha Romanoff made a judgement call in the field that in retrospect saved millions in damages and prevented further severe injuries.” He looked at Ross over the top of his red tinted sunglasses and smirked with all the cocky insolence he could muster. “After all the damage and unnecessary injuries that the terrorists created before in Bucharest, the temporary Accords Council was quite understanding when it came to Romanoff’s decision.” 

“The Accords Council is a bunch of--” 

“You touch her and I’m gone,” Stark deadpanned. His arrogant demeanour had melted away and he stared hard at Ross before him. “You touch any of my team and I’m gone. Your superhero mascot will be gone and the Accords will fade away into obscurity.” Tony snapped the fingers of his left arm in a moment of faked remembrance, causing a wince and a resituating of his sling, before he added, “Also, this entire conversation is being recorded, so you know. Do with that what you will.” Tony smiled with all teeth and silently dared Ross to say another word. Natasha had to suppress a smirk of her own. No one could rile a man up like a Stark.

Secretary Ross looked like he was about to throw a fit but he managed to point a shaking finger at Tony and demand, “You’re here to talk to your buddies, Stark. Give me something useful or I’ll find someone to replace both of you.” He looked like he wanted to say more but he turned away and stomped out of the room. 

“That went well,” Romanoff said with no inflection. 

“Yeah, well, we’re both tied by the balls to the Accords, so…” Tony glanced down at his watch and then back around them at the many screens and bustling people. They were greatly outnumbered and she could see the tension in his muscles. “Ready to go?” 

She forced a perfect blankness to her face and looped her arm through his as she said, “Lead the way, boss.” 

The two of them were patted down for weapons and unceremoniously shoved into the area that held the cells their ex-teammates were being kept in. Natasha’s eyes immediately focused on Clint and she walked up to his cell. She could feel Tony’s eyes on her, but he stayed back at the entrance. She appreciated that. 

Clint watched her with open distaste and her mouth went dry. “Hey, buddy,” she offered.

Clint rolled his eyes and turned away from her. After a moment he said, “See what you’ve done, Nat?” He shot her a glare over his shoulder. “Apparently, I’m a criminal!”

“You--” 

“Do you believe I’m a criminal, Nat? I mean, we’ve done some bad shit for good reasons, but I never considered myself a _ criminal _ or a _ thug _. Hell, I have three kids and a wife waiting for me.” 

“So why didn’t you think of them before?” Natasha demanded, desperate to shock sense into the man in front of her. “Your family--” 

“Family?! You’re the one who was threatening our family, Nat! You turned your back on Steve and sided with Stark! You betrayed us!” 

She saw Tony step forward from the side and approach her. 

The moment Clint spotted Tony, the archer spat out, “So he is here! You’re in Stark’s pocket now, Nat? Or maybe-- Are you in his bed too? That’s more your _ style _ isn’t it?” 

“That’s enough, Barton!” Stark ordered. Natasha was left reeling from the amount of...spite Barton was spewing. She knew Clint could be petty and abrasive at times, especially when he was vulnerable, but genuinely hurtful? Not for years. Not to her. 

Tony took a deep breath and said more softly, “Do I need to remind you who bailed your family out when those SHIELD files went hot?” 

Clint’s eyes softened for a moment and his eyes drifted away from the pair in front of him. Then he shook his head and he snarled at Tony, “Always gotta have something on everyone, huh? You love lording your wealth and undeserved fame over your team. You make me sick!” 

Tony placed his fingers at his temple and walked away to talk to Falcon. Natasha couldn’t move, her eyes stuck on her friend. Her first friend. The only man she would die for willingly. “Clint? What’s going on?” She placed a hand on the glass and gave him her best beseeching look, the one that almost always worked on him, despite him knowing it was coming. Every time. She tapped the glass in their private signal for emergencies, hoping to reach him through his anger.

He blinked at her as if confused and then said, “Natasha?” 

She startled and immediately replied, “Yeah? Clint?” 

His eyes narrowed and he looked around the place in paranoia and obvious fear, “I’ve made a mistake.” His words were low and she could barely hear them. 

“What are you talking about? What was a mistake?” 

Clint squatted near her and looked through the glass, trying to see into the cells around him. She didn’t know who he was looking for, and she knew he wouldn’t be able to see anyone other than herself. “Clint?” 

“Pietro was a mistake.” Clint said. 

She glanced over to where Tony and Falcon were talking. She saw Stark mess with his watch and then begin talking again. She turned back to Clint but he was already across the cell again and sitting on the lone bench. “Hey, buddy.” She continued to tap the signal but he seemed to stop hearing it and her. 

She tried a few more times before Stark finished up and they both had to leave.

The moment they were safely in the air and away from Ross, Natasha demanded to know what happened. 

“I know where Cap is headed, and if Sam’s to be believed, the guy’s in over his head.” 

Natasha nodded and said, “Then we’ll help them.” 

“Not us. Me.” 

“No.” 

“Sam said I had to go alone and as a friend.” 

“I don’t care what Sam said, that’s a stupid idea.” 

“I know.” He sighed and sat back in his seat, impatiently tugging the sling off and throwing it to the side. “But I need you to do something else.” 

She perked up, “I’m listening.” 

“Ross is a problem. He’s going to be an even bigger problem after this shit show blows over. I need you to take him down.” 

“Assassination?” She asked. She wasn’t against the idea, but she was surprised Stark would request it.

Tony blinked in complete bafflement for a long moment before he snorted and said, “No. You and Pepper together should be able to find enough dirt on him to bury him forever. No killing. Just… you know, blackmailing and dirty laundry and stuff like that. I’ve got a file already started, FRIDAY will give you access.” 

“Why does this have to happen now?” 

“Because I’m about to break the Accords by flying off after our precious patriotic idiot. That’s the excuse Ross’ll need to put me, them, you, and the others in our own glass cubes. And I don’t know about you, but fluorescent lighting does me no favors. Washes my skin tone out completely.” 

“I don’t like it.” Natasha could see all the ways this could go wrong, but Tony had a point. They had to watch their backs at all times. They needed to be ready before Ross could make headway. This was her specialty after all. 

“I don’t either, but I’ll move faster on my own. Besides, Cap’ll have my back if anything goes wrong over there. This is our best chance to get everyone out of this in one piece.” 

“What about you?” 

“Well, I haven’t been in one piece since Afghanistan, Tasha.” His smirk was plastic and painful for her to look at. “Don’t worry about me.” With that he pressed a button in the armrest of the chair he was sitting on and the armour began to employ around him. A few moments later he was gone and flying off to who knows where. 

Natasha sighed and picked up the Starkpad he left behind. “FRIDAY?” 

“Yes, Miss Romanoff.” 

“Get Pepper on the line, please, and show me this file on Ross.” 

“Right away.” 

  
  
  
  
  


FRIDAY had gone silent a while ago as she and Pepper worked to put the finishing touches on their hours of work. Ross was a man with many secrets, but they weren’t safe from a master assassin or the CEO of the largest tech company in the world. 

Natasha had never spent a large amount of time with Pepper, but she always had the distinction that Pepper wasn’t a woman to be trifled with. Not because she dealt with Tony. Not because she was a CEO. Not because of her obvious intelligence. 

No, it was because Pepper only said things that she could follow through on. So any words that came from her mouth were a promise. Not just a promise, they were reality... Just like the red room, only Potts had morality. 

Natasha had both an understandable admiration and a healthy fear of the woman. But she was pleasantly surprised to find that the two of them worked effectively together. It felt slightly reminiscent of her time as Natalie Rushman. Pepper knew more about technology and coding than Natasha had originally expected. Though in hindsight that seemed ridiculous, of course Tony would teach her. The two of them together soon scrounged up every piece of ammunition they could use against Ross. The SI lawyers would have a field day. 

Pepper closed the Starkpad and ordered FRIDAY to send the results over to the legal department. She then folded her hands together on top of her desk and looked at Natasha with intent. “Tony’s taking a chance on you, you know.” 

“I know.” And she did. 

Pepper hummed in thought and tilted her head just a bit to the side as her eyes ran over Natasha’s haggard appearance. Natasha couldn’t help but look at the small lock of red hair that fell over one blue eye, arrested by the quiet elegance before her. Pepper was entrancing. 

“You turn on him or stab him in the back again and I will destroy every identity you’ve ever had and broadcast your every intention to anyone you’ve ever pissed off. And I imagine that’s quite a few people. Do you understand me?” 

Natasha couldn’t speak for a moment, so utterly taken aback by the comment. And again, Pepper never uttered a word she didn’t already know she could do. This was reality now. Natasha couldn’t help but feel trapped by those blue eyes in more ways than one. She nodded and didn’t say a word, holding eye contact with Pepper Potts and trying to calm her rapid heart rate. 

“You used him. I tried to tell him, but he wouldn’t listen; to me _ or _Rhodey.” 

“I know.” Natasha looked down for only a second as she remembered the way the team treated Stark as a bank and a scapegoat. She’d followed Steve’s actions, and the others had followed her and Steve. There was no excuse, it was just the easiest way. Spiders take the path of least resistance. “I know. And I know I don’t deserve this, just as much as he didn’t deserve that. But this time--”

“Boss lady?” FRIDAY said in a panic. “I’ve lost Boss. He’s gone-- I can’t-- he was-- the armour is down--” The sheer amount of emotion in the AI’s voice was hard to bear. She sounded like a young girl searching for her father, which Natasha reasoned, was pretty much what was happening. 

“Why is it offline?” Pepper demanded. 

“Captain Rogers broke the arc reactor.” 

Natasha felt cold settle in her body and she thought of Steve’s face at the airport. Cap wouldn’t… he loved Tony… right? 

Natasha feared for Tony. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Ten hours and eleven minutes later and Natasha finally saw Tony. It took Vision five hours to reach Siberia, and another six to get back. He’d had to stop twice to help Tony clear the blood from his lungs. 

She was standing next to Pepper as they watched Doctor Cho carefully remove bits of armour at a time and then announce that Tony needed immediate emergency surgery. Natasha helped Pepper over to the viewing area of the OR, and again they stood there in silence. Watching. 

Five broken ribs and two shattered. Artificial sternum cracked and fracturing by the second. Left lung punctured and full of blood, right partially collapsed. Fingers, toes, and face just short of frostbitten. Appendix burst. Left arm broken and nerves partially severed. Severe concussion and contusions across the body. 

His heart stopped twice. 

Tony Stark was dead for a total of 4 minutes and 26 seconds. 

Natasha didn’t understand how it had come to this. 

She was next to Pepper when she signed the medical release, allowing Tony to be placed into a medically induced coma. His injuries were too severe, the man’s body needed time to heal. A week the doctor said. Then they could wake him up. 

She couldn’t help but think she should have gone with him. She should have pushed back harder against him. Made him take a tac team. Made him wait. Anything. 

A slight hand on her shoulder had her turning to look into Pepper’s teary eyes. “I know what you’re thinking,” Pepper said. Her breath hitched and a few more tears fell before she could continue talking. Natasha had to resist reaching out to hold the other woman. “Tony is a great man, but he takes decisions upon himself. You couldn’t have stopped him.” 

Miss Potts bowed her head and walked down the hallway to Rhodey’s medical suite, making the arrangements to move them into the same one. They’d want it that way. 

Natasha took one deep stabilizing breath before she asked, “FRIDAY? Where are they?” A deep consuming and frigid fury was taking shape in her chest. How could Steve have done this to Tony? 

“I don’t know.” 

Nat closed her eyes and tried to think. Things were moving too fast and in too many directions. She needed to prioritize. She couldn’t help Stark right now. Couldn’t track the Cap. She couldn’t get to her other teammates, the ones locked up in that black hole in the middle of the ocean. That meant Ross. “Tell legal to get a move on with the Ross file. We need to make sure the Accords aren’t pulled into this. We need to keep Stark out of the criticism and the Council above water. Rogers won’t drag us down with him. Got it?” No matter what, Natasha was in for the long run now. She would do Tony and Pepper proud. 

“Got it, Miss Romanoff.”

**Author's Note:**

> Check out the part that comes after this!


End file.
